Then he stepped back.
Raquel stared at the ring.
She had expected him to plead, to remind her how much she had helped him, perhaps even to become angry when she refused to forgive him.
Instead, he was leaving the decision in her hands.
And that frightened her more than she wanted to admit.
“Go home, Raúl,” she whispered.
He nodded.
He wanted to hold her. He wanted to tell her he loved her until she believed him.
But love could not be forced.
So he walked out.
This time, he didn’t ask the guards to stop him.
The Choice That Proved Everything
In the days that followed, Raúl returned to the life he had known before meeting Raquel.
He continued working. He visited his mother. He helped his sisters with their studies and took on plumbing jobs whenever he could.
He also made an important decision.
